Kobe, a Siena Catholic College Sippy Downs student, has coded his way to global recognition, winning the Swift Student Challenge for his cutting-edge app Deconstruct.
The Year 11 student is one of eight young Australian developers and one of 350 winners around the world chosen from primary, secondary and even university students. Using Swift, Apple Vision Pro, and an iPad, Kobe developed an app that empowers students to fully prepare and minimise risk in subjects such as woodwork, setting a new standard in educational spaces—where safety is paramount. Siena Catholic College Curriculum Leader Paul Dionysius said this remarkable achievement places Kobe among the world’s brightest young minds in app development."Kobe’s invention stands out from the rest because it’s not just about coding—it combines innovation with empathy,” he said."Using Augmented Reality on Apple Vision Pro and an iPad, his app teaches students about safety, allowing them to engage hands-on without the risk of injury."While many students have coding skills, Kobe’s strength is in solving real-world problems."Deconstruct also includes video demonstrations, helping students understand tasks step by step. “Right now, it’s designed for woodwork and design tech, but there’s potential to expand into other fields of study.“We currently have our Year 10 engineering students using it to build virtual bridge prototypes.‘The app allows you to build your bridge within a visual space without a need for a physical 3D model.“In this way it’s environmentally friendly too, reducing waste and eliminating the need for physical materials.
Kobe said he is “really happy” with his win.“Looking to the future I want to pursue a job in coding,” he said.Kobe’s win came with some perks including AirPod Max, one year membership in the Apple Developer Program, a complimentary voucher to take an App Development with Swift certification exam, plus a visit to Apple Headquarters in Sydney. Kobe has also applied to present his entry at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference held in Cupertino California later this year. Kobe is one of eight Swift Student Challenge winners nationally.In 2024, Kobe also won Brisbane Catholic Education’s STEM MAD National Future is STEM Secondary Competition.For more information about Siena Catholic College, Sippy Down or to enrol click here. 
©Brisbane Catholic Education (2024).